Integral value

Find the largest possible value of a + b + c a+b+c if a a , b b and c c are positive integers satisfying 5 a + b 2 = 3 c 5^a+b^2=3^c .


The answer is 5.

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1 solution

Kushal Bose
Jan 4, 2017

5 a + b 2 = 3 c b 2 = 3 c 5 a 5^a+b^2=3^c \implies b^2=3^c-5^a . So, here b b will be even.Consider b = 2 m b=2m

Recall that b 2 0 , 1 ( m o d 3 ) b^2 \equiv 0,1 \pmod{3}

5 a + b 2 ( 3 + 2 ) a + b 2 2 a + b 2 ( 3 1 ) a + b 2 ( 1 ) a + b 2 ( 1 ) a + 0 , 1 ( m o d 3 ) 5^a+b^2 \equiv (3+2)^a + b^2 \equiv 2^a+b^2 \equiv (3-1)^a+b^2 \equiv (-1)^a +b^2 \equiv (-1)^a +0,1 \pmod{3} .Clearly this remainder will be zero if a a is odd.Consider a = 2 k + 1 a=2k+1

Now the equation becomes 5 2 k + 1 + 4 m 2 = 3 c 5^{2k+1} +4m^2 =3^c .Any perfect square ends with 0 , 1 , 4 , 9 , 5 , 6 {0,1,4,9,5,6} .When it is multiplied with 4 4 then ends with 0 , 4 , 6 {0,4,6} .Any power raised to 5 5 always ends with 5 5 .Powers of 3 3 ends with 3 1 = 3 ; 3 2 = 9 ; 3 3 = 7 , 3 4 = 1 3^1=3;3^2=9;3^3=7,3^4=1 Combining only result we can get is 4 + 5 = 9 4+5=9 and 5 + 6 = 1 5+6=1 .So powers of 3 3 will be in the form of c = 4 l , 4 l + 2 c=4l,4l+2

So, putting all those in the given equation 5 2 k + 1 + 4 m 2 = 3 4 l 2 5 k . 5 = 9 2 l ( 2 m ) 2 2 5 k . 5 = ( 9 l + 2 m ) ( 9 l 2 m ) 5^{2k+1} +4m^2=3^{4l} \\ \implies 25^k.5= 9^{2l}-(2m)^2 \\ \implies 25^k.5=(9^l+2m)(9^l-2m)

Here g c d ( 9 l + 2 m , 9 l 2 m ) 5 gcd(9^l+2m,9^l-2m) \neq 5 .In the L.H.S. if k 1 k \geq 1 then there will more than one factors of 5 5 .If 9 l 2 m = 1 9^l-2m=1 and 9 l + 2 m = 2 5 k 9^l+2m=25^k .Add this two equations 2. 9 l = 2 5 k + 1 2.9^l=25^k+1 . L.H.S will ends with 2 , 8 2,8 but R.H.S. ends with 6 6 .So there is no solution for k 1 k \geq 1 .Therefore k = 0 k=0 and a = 1 a=1 .

If c = 4 l + 2 c=4l+2 then the case will be similar above. So, 9 l + 2 m = 5 9^l+2m=5 and 9 l 2 m = 1 9^l-2m=1 .Solving this the only values are l = 1 / 2 l=1/2 and m = 1 m=1 .So ,required values are c = 2 c=2 and b = 2 b=2 .From the second part there exists one solution but this is not integral.

So , the only values are a = 1 ; b = 2 ; c = 2 a=1\,\,;b=2\,\,;c=2

I'm not sure this is correct... could you please clarify your solution a bit more?

Miles Koumouris - 4 years, 5 months ago

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Thanks, I have updated line 3

Kushal Bose - 4 years, 5 months ago

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